Amos, you should come dressed in one gigantic green sock that pulls over your entire body, with a set of eyeholes so you can see out of it, and another opening so you can eat and drink. This way no one will have cause for offence on account of your odd clothing or unkempt personal appearance. This is what I would also advise Shane to do, if he went to the Getaway, but he won't, so it's a moot point.

Hot Damn, revolution! A chance to shoot politicians in and out of season! The hides ain't good fer much and their heads ain't worth mountin', but a danged good chance to thin the herd. Got mah thuty-thuty rarin' ta go!

The oppressed should rebel, and they will continue to rebel and raise disturbance until their civil rights are fully restored to them and all partial distinctions, exclusions and incapacitations are removed. --Thomas Jefferson

Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the act of depriving a whole nation of arms, as the blackest. -- Mahatma Gandhi

WHAT a scurrilous remark, Amos! ;-) I am about as apathetic as Che Guevara, my friend. I've been telling you that what your country needs is not an endless shilly-shallying back and forth between the Democrats and the Republicans, but a fullblown social revolution that kicks out BOTH of them. That is not what I call an apathetic stance. I refuse to be forced to choose the lesser of the two evils by choosing between Tweedledum (the Dems) and Tweedledumber (the GOP)!

"It came from under...the...beeeeddddd...." (cue:thunder, lightning, sound of window blinds rattling in breeze) (pan to open window, blinds rattling, darkness outside, eery wind sounds). "Who was it? Where did it realy come from? More important....who made it?????

I just rearranged the furniture in my bedroom. There was enough dust under a few pieces to knit it into a whole person (as a friend of mine used to say when encountering huge gobs of dust, "someone is coming or going.")

Amos, you know darned good and well that Mom insisted that you use the things Janie has instead of those YOU originally wanted to use! She doesn't want you wounded and dying slowly, slowly, by millimeters. She asked me to make sure it's fast and clean -- "a nice, quick, beheading" she suggested. (She has a side bet on how high your blood will spurt when your head struck off -- please don't disappoint her.)

She has care of the things Amos and I will be using at Getaway. Amos is aware of how his gore will stain the floors and soil, fertilizing the grass as a fitting memorial we can all pause at in years to come. Perhaps I shall plant petunias there...or blood red roses where he goes down.

Stilly, it's a history-based computer game which allows you to run the financial, political, mercantile, and military affairs of any one of a huge number of nations in the 1700s. Action rangers all over the globe and involves a number of great empires such as those of Spain, Great Britain, France, Austria, Sweden, Russia, the Ottoman Empire, Venice, Savoy, Prussia, and even the fledgling USA in its early revolutionary phase. The game commences in the year 1700, comprises 6-month turns which involve a tremendous number of actions and decisions, and can be played through to the year 1800. Other revolutions may occur in other countries if the existing rulers don't handle things well, and monarchs may be overthrown and replaced by republican forms of government, as happened in the USA. The religious struggle between Catholic and Protestant and Islamic and Hindu nations is also a significant factor.

But the best part of all is the naval battles which are something to behold.

ARTICLE I - Every man shall have an equal vote in affairs of moment. He shall have an equal title to the fresh provisions or strong liquors at any time seized, and shall use them at pleasure unless a scarcity may make it necessary for the common good that a retrenchment may be voted.

ARTICLE II - Every man shall be called fairly in turn by the list on board of prizes, because over and above their proper share, they are allowed a shift of clothes. But if they defraud the company to the value of even one dollar in plate, jewels or money, they shall be marooned. If any man rob another he shall have his nose and ears slit, and be put ashore where he shall be sure to encounter hardships.

ARTICLE III - None shall game for money either with dice or cards.

ARTICLE IV - The lights and candles should be put out at eight at night, and if any of the crew desire to drink after that hour they shall sit upon the open deck without lights.

ARTICLE V - Each man shall keep his piece, cutlass and pistols at all times clean and ready for action.

ARTICLE VI - No boy or woman to be allowed amongst them. If any man shall be found seducing any of the latter sex and carrying her to sea in disguise he shall suffer death.

ARTICLE VII - He that shall desert the ship or his quarters in time of battle shall be punished by death or marooning.

ARTICLE VIII - None shall strike another on board the ship, but every man's quarrel shall be ended on shore by sword or pistol in this manner. At the word of command from the quartermaster, each man being previously placed back to back, shall turn and fire immediately. If any man do not, the quartermaster shall knock the piece out of his hand. If both miss their aim they shall take to their cutlasses, and he that draweth first blood shall be declared the victor.

ARTICLE IX - No man shall talk of breaking up their way of living till each has a share of l,000. Every man who shall become a cripple or lose a limb in the service shall have 800 pieces of eight from the common stock and for lesser hurts proportionately.

ARTICLE X - The captain and the quartermaster shall each receive two shares of a prize, the master gunner and boatswain, one and one half shares, all other officers one and one quarter, and private gentlemen of fortune one share each.

ARTICLE XI - The musicians shall have rest on the Sabbath Day only by right. On all other days by favour only.

To the mast nail our flag it is dark as the grave, Or the death which it bears while it sweeps o'er the wave; Let our deck clear for action, our guns be prepared; Be the boarding-axe sharpened, the scimetar bared: Set the canisters ready, and then bring to me, For the last of my duties, the powder-room key.

It shall never be lowered, the black flag we bear; If the sea be denied us, we sweep through the air. Unshared have we left our last victory's prey; It is mine to divide it, and yours to obey: There are shawls that might suit a sultana's white neck, And pearls that are fair as the arms they will deck.

There are flasks which, unseal them, the air will disclose Diametta's fair summers, the home of the rose. I claim not a portion: I ask but as mine 'Tis to drink to our victory - one cup of red wine. Some fight, 'tis for riches - some fight, 'tis for fame: The first I despise, and the last is a name.

I fight, 'tis for vengeance! I love to see flow, At the stroke of my sabre, the life of my foe. I strike for the memory of long-vanished years; I only shed blood where another shed tears, I come, as the lightning comes red from above, O'er the race that I loathe, to the battle I love.